Police: 'There's less respect for authority'

Violent attacks against officers happen more frequently.

Violent attacks against officers happen more frequently.

December 01, 2006|TOM MOOR Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Shortly after making a routine traffic stop last week, Cpl. Greg Early reached for his handcuffs to arrest a passenger who was accused of false informing. Before he could do that, though, he says the suspect quickly spun out of his grasp, made his way behind the officer and punched him with a closed fist in the back of the head. "I've never been hit that hard in my life," Early said. "I saw stars. If he would have hit me in the front, he would have knocked me out." But he didn't, and Early and a couple of other officers on the scene were able to finally put the combative suspect in handcuffs -- but not before they Tasered him twice to subdue him. Early missed four working days and wore a neck brace temporarily. He returned to work Wednesday. Police say that kind of disrespect and aggression toward officers -- combined with a strong desire to avoid being arrested -- have put officers' lives in jeopardy on a daily basis. The number of violent attacks against them is way up, officers say. "It's worse than it's ever been," said Early, an eight-year veteran of the South Bend Police Department who is a member of the K-9 unit and Neighborhood Enforcement Service Team. "There's no respect anymore." "There's less respect for authority in general," Police Chief Thomas Fautz said. "That includes parents, teachers and officers." Violent year A number of South Bend officers have been assaulted and hospitalized this year. One was killed. Cpl. Scott Severns was shot multiple times while with a female friend in the 1300 block of South Clover Street in April. He died two days later. Last week, it was reported that Patrolman Jason King was forced to the ground by a man who used a "martial arts military move" in an attempt to kill him. Unable to reach his Taser because of the way he was being held, King shot the man in the chest. The man later died from his injuries. Authorities have ruled the killing justified. Last month, Cpl. Angela Kline was reportedly pushed three times before falling to the ground by a man trying to escape from police. Thanks to Kline's K-9, Greta, the suspect didn't make it far. And Patrolman Jose Capeles was head-butted over the summer while taking a suspect -- accused of leading police on a lengthy chase -- to a squad car. The list goes on and on. "The job has a lot of dangers," South Bend police spokesman Capt. Phil Trent said. "Criminals are looking for any way to get away." "Most of it is over drugs," added Capt. John Williams. "It has made them a lot more aggressive during the last few years." Injuries down; violent attacks up The number of officers hospitalized has actually decreased in recent years, which Trent and Fautz attribute to the use of the Taser. Deployed in October 2004, the Taser gun replaced pepper spray as the more effective choice for an officer in distress, although officers still carry pepper spray. The Taser usually gives officers enough time to make the arrest before the subdued suspect is able to become physical again. During the first 10 months of 2004, officers were treated for injuries 53 times, compared to 34 last year through 10 months and 32 this year. "I'm pretty confident in saying that's why there's been such a decrease in the number of officers injured," Trent said. But although minor injuries have decreased, police say, violent attacks against officers have risen dramatically. Police did not provide those statistics. Criminals are much quicker to pull out guns and knives against officers than ever before, and officer shootings and murders are on the rise nationwide, Trent said. "You're seeing more violence toward police officers as far as people willing to shoot them and being noncompliant," Fautz said. Trent agreed. "The number of injuries might be going down, but the severity of the injuries is the same or rising," he said. "When (officers) get hurt now, they get hurt bad." Following protocol Despite the number of attacks against police, Fautz is pleased with the way his officers have been following protocol. "We've reinforced our training and standards," he said. "We report all use of force to make sure they're using force appropriately and monitor it to make sure officers are acting professional." That, Fautz said, has led to a decrease in the amount of complaints and reports of excessive force officers have received, even though online reporting gives complainants easier access to filing them. "We compared ourselves to other national cities our size, and we fared pretty well," Fautz said. Any time an officer uses force against a suspect, the officer is required to fill out a use-of-force report. Police also keep track of the number of times force is used against them. Trent, meanwhile, said managing a police department is similar to running a professional sports team: Injuries come with the territory. "You have to plan for injuries," he said. "You always know there's going to be a certain number of officers on light duty, and you need reserves to fill in." Early said last week's incident won't change his mindset when he's patrolling the streets. "A situation like that, it happens so fast," Early said. "Sometimes, there's nothing you can do. You just try to be ready for it." Staff writer Tom Moor: tmoor@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6187